


Frame of Reference

by baudown



Series: Spander Shorts [7]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: M/M, btvs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-26
Updated: 2016-07-26
Packaged: 2018-07-26 21:15:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7590625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baudown/pseuds/baudown
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spike prefers to be the big spoon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Frame of Reference

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the prompt "Silver Lining" at slashthedrabble -- except, it turns out I misread the prompt. Oops. 300 words.

Spike prefers to be the big spoon. This is fine with Xander, but also, kinda funny, in light of their relative sizes. Funnier still, he'd never realized Spike was smaller, until, in an effort to reach Spike's lips, he'd needed to lower his head. _Huh_ , he had thought, with startled delight, before bliss slammed the brakes on cognition.

Perhaps he'd missed this obvious fact due to lack of proper perspective. Pre-kissage, he'd rarely been near enough to gauge Spike's height; and when he had, he'd been unconscious, or trying not to look. The thing is, from a distance, Spike seems deceptively _huge_ \-- an enormous presence that fills up a room, stomping and swearing and swirling his coat. Like a rolling storm-cloud, all sound and fury; but if luck was with you, and he let you get close, you'd notice the silver lining. If he did, you'd see his pleading expression, watch his eyes flutter shut as you clasped his thin wrist. You'd hear the deep sigh as your arms wrapped around him, feel him melt at the press of your body to his.

For once, Xander _has_ gotten lucky. He knows both sides of Spike: the Big Bad, and the Little Hurt; the soft, gooey center, and the hard candy shell. Spike has layers, like everyone else. People are a mass of contradictions, himself included. Because when it comes to Spike, Xander feels protect- _ive_ , and protect- _ed,_ at the very same time.

When they're curled up together, Spike's leg slung possessively over his, it doesn't matter that he's been fired again, or that his folks are plastered and shouting upstairs. "You're alright," Spike says. "Safe as houses." And somehow, the bad fades away.

Spike _should_ be the last guy to make him feel safe.

He's the first one who ever has.

 


End file.
